Back pain is one of the most common problems
with many but few pay attention to it. If not diagnosed in time it
aggravates pain and leads to more severe consequences. Diagnosis is done
by taking help of patient's history and a detailed physical examination.
In very few cases, the patient is required to undergo an intensive
examination to determine the cause of pain.
Physical examination is done to know the physical condition in which the
patient experiences more pain, duration of pain, exact location of pain
and what action aggravates pain. Examination of spines
movement and
assessment of lower limb muscles are also a part of the physical test.
If doctor gets to know about past kidney and pancreatic disorders, it
helps in ascertaining reasons behind the pain.
Patient's history
becomes significant as it reveals various conditions related to health
background and age of patient. Intensive examination involves bone scan
,MRI, X-Ray, CT scan and Mylography. Patients who have sudden back pain
due to accidents and patients who experience pain in night are often put
to these tests. If a child suffers from this pain, these tests are
conducted to ensure safety of the growing bones.
Bone scan helps
in knowing the structure of bones, spinal tumor and bone infections.
Nerves, discs and bones are observed with the help of MRI. CT scan helps
in detecting spinal stenosis that also contributes to back pain. People
who have persistent pain for more than two weeks are suggested to
undergo EMG to ascertain nerves involvement in pain. But, these tests
are generally avoided as physical examination can easily find out
reasons of pain.
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